Tag: competition

EU regulators are investigating whether MasterCard's card fees for non-European cardholders and business practices violate EU antitrust rules, as they stepped up their fight against barriers to cross-border trade.

The rise of independent gas producers in Russia marks a paradigm-shift for the domestic market, and could ultimately challenge Gazprom’s dominant position both at home and in the export markets, argues Danila Bochkarev.

In a major victory for Google Inc., US regulators ended their investigation into the giant internet company and concluded that it had not manipulated its Web search results to hurt rivals. But a parallel probe being conducted by the European Union continues.

Philips, LG Electronics, Samsung SDI and three other firms were fined a record €1.47 billion by EU antitrust regulators on Wednesday (5 December) for fixing prices of TV and monitor cathode-ray tubes for nearly a decade.

Sweden's decision to discriminate between consumers in the same country in order to avoid discriminating between consumers in two different EU member states raises several concerns about the single market, argue Joakim Nergelius and Gustav Lorentz.

The European Commission has delayed a trade case against two Chinese telecom equipment makers that are under scrutiny in the United States for posing a national security threat to the country's telecoms infrastructure.

SPECIAL REPORT / A European Commission paper setting the future direction for industrial policy, to be published next month, marks a departure from the past by setting a clear preference for sectoral focuses. The aim is to avoid the pitfalls of past attempts to create supranational champions.

The European Commission should depart from its current silo thinking and look at specific industrial sectors from a holistic perspective, which takes into account competition rules, state aid and environmental policy in an international context, argues François Gayet.

Plans for an EU-wide legal approach to match-fixing and money laundering in sport are under way, with the European Parliament committee on mafia and organised crime holding a debate on the issue yesterday (17 September).

Following the recent manipulation of the Libor interest rate index, the European Commission yesterday (5 September) launched a consultation to examine regulating financial indexing benchmarks.

EU antitrust regulators yesterday (31 July) charged Visa Europe, the European licensee of Visa Inc, over its cross-border credit card fees, saying they harm competition between banks and lead to higher consumer prices.

Joaquín Almunia, the EU's Competition Commissioner, has laid down an ultimatum for US search giant Google to meet competition concerns as both sides signalled a desire to avoid a repeat of tech giant Microsoft’s mammoth legal dispute with the EU executive.

A Eurostat survey revealing huge labour cost differences across the 27 EU member states unveiled yesterday (24 April) has provided fuel for the French election campaign, where the two contenders are battling over plans for a "social VAT" to protect French producers against social dumping.

Apple and four international publishers have sent proposals to the European Commission to try to solve an e-books anti-trust case, a Commission statement said yesterday (11 April).

The Commission today (3 April) opened an investigation into whether phonemaker Motorola Mobility breached antitrust rules by allegedly over-charging Microsoft and Apple for use of its patents in their products.

Trade unions, companies and member states are digging trenches in preparation for a fight over proposals to increase the social dimension of the EU's Single Market, which the European Commission is expected to launch today.

Members of the European Parliament pledge to stick to the lower range of their proposed price caps for roaming charges. A recent report by national regulators found that providers’ costs for these services are likely to remain below the higher caps originally suggested by the Commission and backed by many member states.

The European Commission launched this month a consultation designed to streamline electronic public-sector information amid uncertainty as to how new data protection rules will affect public administrations as well as the private sector.

Hungarian flag-carrier Malév ceased operating early today (3 February), ending 66 years of almost continuous service, after its planes were held overseas for unpaid debts. Last month the Commission ordered Hungary to recover multi-million state aid to the national carrier.

The French government is to present a proposal for a 'social' value-added tax that it hopes will reduce labour costs and increase France's competitiveness relative to its trading partners. EurActiv France reports.

Not long ago it was fears of Polish plumbers and other tradesmen putting their western counterparts out of work. Now there are concerns that Bulgarian and Romanian lorry operators will drive their better-paid western cohorts out of business.

The Commission yesterday (6 December) launched an investigation into potential price fixing between e-book publishers and Apple Inc, to examine whether rival publishers were blocked or consumers harmed.

The European Commission unveiled proposals yesterday (29 November) intended to make it easier for consumers who shop anywhere in the EU – including online – to file complaints against manufacturers without going to court.